The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church

The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church
Average customer rating:

Eye Opening!

Asking The Hard Questions

The New Church

One that must be read.

Church Transformation

The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church
Reggie McNeal
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0787965685

Book Description

In this provocative book, author, consultant, and church leadership developer Reggie McNeal debunks these and other old assumptions and provides an overall strategy to help church leaders move forward in an entirely different and much more effective way. In The Present Future, McNeal identifies the six most important realities that church leaders must address including: recapturing the spirit of Christianity and replacing "church growth" with a wider vision of kingdom growth; developing disciples instead of church members; fostering the rise of a new apostolic leadership; focusing on spiritual formation rather than church programs; and shifting from prediction and planning to preparation for the challenges of an uncertain world. McNeal contends that by changing the questions church leaders ask themselves about their congregations and their plans, they can frame the core issues and approach the future with new eyes, new purpose, and new ideas.

Also available: The Present Future DVD Collection (978-0-7879-8673-5), Reggie McNeal's DVD presentation of the ideas and insights featured in his best-selling book.

Customer Reviews:

Eye Opening!.......2007-10-22

Reggie McNeal writes a thought provoking book that will either excite and challenge you or anger you. Not everyone is ready for the truth that is laid out in his book. But it is the truth none the less. The American Church has lost the right to be heard and this book gives us some tough questions we need to ask ourselves in doing a self-evlaution and earning the right to share the important message of Jesus Christ and be heard by those who need to hear it. This book was a great confirmation for our church in who we are and why we don't seem to fit in with the other churches in our community. God is doing a new thing and this book has shown our church we are part of it. I am now taking our entire church leadershipo through the book. I highly recommend every Christian who is tired of "doing church" and maintaining the status qou read this book.

Asking The Hard Questions.......2007-10-17

Fantastic book. Really makes you reflect on your ministry and the questions the book asks gives a structure for evaluating the overall focus of your church. I would highly recommened this book for someone seeking to bring about revitalization within their congregation and personal ministry.

The New Church.......2007-09-11

Excellent book which speaks to the problems the modern church faces. Gives specific information and direction to deal with current issues. I have found this work tremendously useful in advocating change for the church I serve as pastor.

One that must be read........2007-07-25

This book explores the emergent church culture. The book's focus is on missional living within a ever changing culture. The books deals with the changing paradigm of modernism to postmodernism. Some church leaders would consider this book radical, but this book is helpful in providing a proper perspective on reaching out in faith. It is a plea to change churchianity into Christianity. Because of the influence of mega-church culture, we have been seduced into selling Christianity like a product on the open market, the book presents a way to authentically change the community for Christ.

Church Transformation.......2007-05-24

While many will be turned off by the author's strong language and seeming 'over stating' of the case; most of what McNeal says and recommends rings true. The church in North America is dying and dying rather fast as seem by the exodus of members and churches from the major denominations. If you are a leader - and especially a pastor - in a church you need to study this book (preferable with the rest of your team) and seriously consider what and how you are going to respond to the new world order. Unlike the Boomer Generation who have `grown up' and for the most part taken their responsible position in leadership in the ministries of the church, this current last generation (Millenniest or Matrix) are not likely to do that. They are looking for something better and God may indeed pass by the North American Church to accomplish His purpose in reaching the entire world with the Love of Jesus for the Glory of God.

Average customer rating:

Good sound advice
You Learn By Living by Eleanor Roosevelt
You Learn by Living , Eleanor Roosevelt
Everyone should read this book
You Learn By Living Eleven Keys For A More Fulfilling Life

You Learn by Living
Eleanor Roosevelt
Manufacturer: Westminster John Knox Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0664244947

Customer Reviews:

Good sound advice.......2007-08-27

My mother told me she had the opportunity to go listen to Eleanor Roosevelt give a talk at her college during the 1930's. She said Mrs. Roosevelt was a powerful and inspriational speaker, while at the same time seem like a next door neighbor.

After reading this book, I have to agree with my mother (don't tell her that!). This book is filled lots of very practical and useful ideas for everyday living. I would recommend this book for high school reading and then have them re-read it about tens after graduation.

You Learn By Living by Eleanor Roosevelt.......2007-08-23

I enjoyed the book very much. I am quite an Eleanor Roosevelt admirer and found much of what was in the book to be ageless in its presentation. It is a book I intend to give to my granddaughter.

You Learn by Living , Eleanor Roosevelt.......2007-04-10

This is a excellent book for any graduate, no matter what stage of life.
Eleanor Roosevelt offers advice on how to be the best person one can be.
Even at middle age I found this book to be very inspirational at this stage of my life. Live life to the fullest.

Everyone should read this book.......2003-07-26

This is a little-known but delightful gem of a book. The inimitable Eleanor Roosevelt was a prolific author, but this effort is among her very best. Forged by adversity throughout her life, Eleanor was born into a privileged, wealthy family. Her father, Elliot, was Theodore Roosevelt's brother.

My favorite chapter is "The Right to Be an Individual." Mrs. Roosevelt stresses that individuality is something to be prized, yet people want to remain safe, surrounded by a group. She stresses we should strive against this and always be true to ourselves. This is a simple, yet eloquent philosophy. The entire book is full of wit, wisdom and some profound bits of advice. I am a better person for having read this book and I think everyone can take something meaningful from its pages.

You Learn By Living Eleven Keys For A More Fulfilling Life.......2002-09-29

In this wise and highly personal book, one of the twentieth century's most famous and beloved first ladies - Eleanor Roosevelt - offers advice on how to create a satisfying life.

Offering her own philosophy on living, the woman who was called Fist Lady to the World leads readers on a path to confidence, education, maturity, and more.

You Learn By Living is a book that remains fascinating, inspirational, and relevant to late - twentieth - century readers.

The keys to the kind of life Mrs. Roosevelt describes are:

- Learning to Learn
- Fear the Great Enemy
- The Uses of Time
- The Difficult Art of Maturity
- Readjustments Is Endless
- Learning to Be Useful
- The Right to Be an Individual
- How to Get the Best Out of People
- Facing Responsibility
- How Everyone Can Take Part in Politics
- Learning to Be a Public Servant

Reclaiming the Great Commission: A Practical Model for Transforming Denominations and Congregations
Average customer rating:

THE place to start the discussion about mainline renewal

Church as mission outpost

Must Read

Building the church of Christ or building a denomination?

Every Church Vision Should Model This Book

Reclaiming the Great Commission: A Practical Model for Transforming Denominations and Congregations
Bishop Claude Payne , and Hamilton Beazley
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0787952680

Book Description

Reclaiming the Great Commission describes a biblically based model that can restore the missionary power of first-century Christianity to twenty-first century denominations and their congregations. Based on shared vision and mission, the model can guide the members of any congregation or denomination into deeper and broader evangelism, an enhanced experience of community, and a renewed hope of personal and spiritual transformation.

Customer Reviews:

THE place to start the discussion about mainline renewal.......2005-10-24

In the last fifteen years or so there have been a zillion books written about mainline renewal. Most of them were written by consultants like Lyle Schaller or academics like Will Willimon. Most of them show a lack of real world concreteness. Payne and Beazley provide an cure for that problem

They take the changes made in the ministry of the most hidebound, change resistant group in the Protestant world-the Episcopal Church-and show what they did in Texas. They deal with real world problems and real world solutions. They call the organizational structure of the church to again become responsive to the needs of local churches and communities and work to accomplish the ministry of the church instead of perpetuate the structure at any cost. The one particular tool they developed that caught my eye was Team 1000 a plan to raise $1 million yearly for church development. Also important was the reminder that some churches we start will never be self supporting, but we as a church have an obligation to support them because the ministry is the right thing to do. Further it shows how important it is to have a leader who is willing to expend his/her leadership capital to accomplish what needs to be done

I highly recomend this book for anyone who has an interest in structural reorganization of denominations, or for those who have given up on the possibility of reform within their own judicatory bodies.

Church as mission outpost.......2005-08-19

This is a literate description of how the Anglican Church in Texas turned several hundred Churches into successful mission outposts. Well-written and helpful for the would-be mission Church.

Must Read.......2003-06-03

In a time of "Church Growth" gurus, books, and workshops - it is very refreshing to have a book that doesn't focus on bells and whistles and technological ways to manipulate, but calls the church back to the mission given by Christ - to go into the world with the transformative Christian faith. If only those of us in mainline denominations would be willing to lift our eyes off of agendas, useless meetings and other distactions and consider "Reclaiming the Great Commission." Mission, not maintenance, is the call of this book, bringing the focus of the church on God, people, and relationships. Shared vision founded in Biblical faith is the key for the local congregation and the larger church. I recommend this to pastors, priests, lay leaders, bishops, and all who are interested in sharing the Gospel.

Building the church of Christ or building a denomination?.......2003-05-04

The author says the present generation church can be like the first generation church, but how can that be? The first church had 'the same' gospel, there was only 'one denomination' at that time and they were simply called Christians. There was no need for denominations in the early church because disciples all believed 'exactly the same things'. To say the present church can be like the first is to not understand the first.

The teachings in this book merely show how to run a successful corporation for that is was this present generation of many churches has become.

Every Church Vision Should Model This Book.......2001-10-22

Our church is using this book as a model for its vision for the year 2001. Our Daughters of the King prayer group is using this book as its study for the coming year.

Beyond the First Visit: The Complete Guide to Connecting Guests to Your Church

Average customer rating:

Helpful but unremarkable...
Beyond Helpful
Guesterize Your Church!
A Book the Motivates
Worth the read

Beyond the First Visit: The Complete Guide to Connecting Guests to Your Church
Gary L. McIntosh
Manufacturer: Baker Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0801091845
Release Date: 2006-09-01

Book Description

All churches like to think that theirs is the friendliest in town. But do visitors see it that way? Church consultant Gary McIntosh invites readers to take a look at their church through the eyes of visitors and potential visitors. His starting point, grounded in an understanding of God as a ''welcomer,'' is that churches should see those who enter their doors as not merely visitors, but as guests, and themselves as gracious hosts. This practical book offers sound advice on assessing and improving the ways in which churches attract people, welcome them, do follow-up, and bring them into the church family. It also offers suggestions for making a welcoming attitude part of the very fabric of the local church.

Customer Reviews:

Helpful but unremarkable..........2007-09-19

I'm on staff at our church in the area of First Impressions, and the subtitle of this book ("Connecting Guests to Your Church") is a major part of what I do. When I first saw this book, I knew that I needed to read it.

Quite frankly, I was disappointed on several fronts. First and foremost, this book felt like it was written for the church of the 1980s. I was taken aback by the almost complete failure to mention internet strategies. When it was discussed at the end of Chapter 5, it was almost as if the reader was supposed to be only vaguely aware that the "World Wide Web" even exists.

I was also frustrated by the rather hokey feel of many of McIntosh's suggestions. The DWYPYWD principle (Do what you promised you would do)? Come on, that's a ridiculous and utterly useless acronym. The rule of three-thirty-three? The MOT (Moment of Truth)? I just think that this stuff is silly.

I was disappointed by one underlying message throughout the book, that the purpose of making good connections with guests is to convince them to attend your church rather than another church. But this totally misses the point of caring about guests. We don't need to be very concerned about the folks who are going to end up at a church somewhere. Our energies should be directed to the folks who are going to choose between attending our church and never attending church again. Those are the folks for whom first impressions and guesterizing strategies should be focused.

Finally, I could not see how Chapter 13 fit into this book. In the midst of all of his connection strategies, McIntosh spends this chapter providing a brief summary of the emergent church movement. Maybe this primer would be helpful for older pastors who have missed the entire emergent thing (and have only recently discovered the World Wide Web and really enjoy acronyms like DWYPYWD), but it seemed completely out of place in this book.

Having been rather critical and even somewhat sarcastic so far in my review, "Beyond the First Visit" was not a complete loss. The strength of this book is that it is relatively comprehensive. McIntosh speaks into a host of topics and goes to great lengths to explain why each of these seemingly insignificant details is actually quite important. His attention to the little things is commendable and should help the reader be aware of the myriad of things that churches need to consider as folks outside the church investigate what we do every week when we come together for corporate worship.

Ultimately, I'm glad that I read this book. There is much good content that can help church leaders to think through the impression that they leave with guests. However, it was far from what it could have been. If you're looking to think about these things in a totally new and refreshing way, I'd recommend Mark Waltz's "First Impressions" instead.

Beyond Helpful.......2007-06-27

Great - practical book. Helps you see your church from a "guest's" (not visitor) point of view. Practical questions to ask for all teams within the church from worship to nursery to building and grounds. Easy to implement in your own setting, not a cookie cutter approach to church. Very helpful

Guesterize Your Church!.......2007-06-19

Inviting guests to your church is easy. Getting them to stay is not. Gary McIntosh's new book offers concrete suggestions for getting guests to stay "beyond the first visit."

I began reading Beyond the First Visit in January 2007 when my wife and I moved to California's central coast to pastor a church. We didn't know anyone in the area or the church, so for a while we felt like guests in our own congregation. I grew up in a pastor's home and was associate pastor to a long-time friend, so this was a new feeling for me. But it was a very valuable feeling, for it gave me an important insight into how guests at our church feel all the time. (And I have a very friendly church!)

According to McIntosh, we need to "guesterize" our churches. That is, we need "to make a church more responsive to its guests and better able to attract new ones." From the moment guests step foot on our campuses, they need to feel a welcome invitation to be there as well as opportunities to connect with others and get involved in the life of the church.

Each chapter of Beyond the First Visit includes numerous suggestions for making your church guest-friendly, real-life examples of what works and what doesn't, and discussion questions that can be used individually or among leadership groups.

If your church has many guests, but few who stay, read Beyond the First Visit. It will open your eyes to your guests' point of view.

A Book the Motivates.......2007-04-02

This is an excellent, practical, and insightful book on how growing a church to the next level can be done. The author has writen it from the biblical, psychological and sociological perspectives which therefore makes it a wholistic and comprehensive treatise on how to boost the attendance of a declined or declining church. Read it and put it into a action. The growth of your church will surprise you.

Worth the read.......2006-11-10

He has several, practical steps for making your church more hospitable. From the 10 foot rule, to the 5 minute rule, to such advice as "Recruit for attitude, Train for people for skills," it was worth the purchase.

State of the World 2007: Our Urban Future (State of the World)

Average customer rating:

The truth can be convenient
A comprehensive and constructive look at the global urban environment

State of the World 2007: Our Urban Future (State of the World)
Worldwatch Institute
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393329232

Book Description

"Top-ranked annual books on sustainable development."—GlobeScan survey of sustainability experts

In State of the World 2007, the Worldwatch Institute's award-winning research team focuses on the urbanization of our planet to provide policymakers, strategic planners, researchers, students, and concerned citizens with comprehensive analysis of the global environmental problems we face, together with descriptions of practical, innovative solutions. This report will show what is needed to foster sustainable cities on a planet where urban areas are home to half the human population and a far larger share of natural resource use.

Written in clear and concise language, with easy-to-read charts and tables, State of the World 2007 presents a view of our changing world that we, and our leaders, cannot afford to ignore.

Customer Reviews:

The truth can be convenient.......2007-02-08

Especially when the issues are surveyed in Worldwatch's annual review.

A comprehensive and constructive look at the global urban environment.......2007-02-07

This year's "State of the World" by Worldwatch Institute focuses on the global urban environment: water and sanitation, transportation, agriculture and farming, energy, natural hazard risks, pulic health, economics, and environmental justice. Each chapter lays out trends and statistics demonstrating some of the hazards the world might be facing with the current trends towards urbanization.

However, the book has a largely positive and constructive tone, with extensive use of examples and case studies of locales using innovative methods for protecting the environment and even attempting to reducing pollutants that might be global in their impacts. Case studies span the world - from Los Angeles to Timbuktu. The "city" provides a structure for problem-solving.

The book overall is comprehensive, with excellent writing and editing - some chapters are replete with data while others are written in a sweeping "big picture" context with long-term recommendations for future directions. This is a great resource for researchers, policy-makers, students, and anyone interested in understanding the risks and opportunities for the urban landscape.

The 51% Minority: How Women Still Are Not Equal and What You Can Do About It

Average customer rating:

A Dim Bulb Speaks
Wiehl-- Anti-male Airhead
Good source of practical info for women
Kudos to Lis Wiehl...
you know what they say about statistics...

The 51% Minority: How Women Still Are Not Equal and What You Can Do About It
Lis Wiehl
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Success | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Winning Every Time: How to Use the Skills of a Lawyer in the Trials of Your Life
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Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters
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If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans

ASIN: 0345469216
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

“Lis Wiehl tells us where the law protects us, and where it is letting us down. And as a bonus she gives us the tools to make change happen! If you care about where we are going, you have to read this book.”
–Rita Cosby, Emmy Award-winning TV host

Women make up 51% of the American population, yet still aren’t treated equally to men in areas that matter most. In this provocative new book, Lis Wiehl, one of the country’s top federal prosecutors, reveals the legal and social inequalities women must face in their daily lives–and provides a “Tool Box” for dealing with a variety of issues. From boardroom to courtroom, from pregnancy to contraception, from unequal pay to domestic violence, women are more often than not handed the short end of the stick.

• A woman earns seventy-three cents for every dollar a man makes.
• The law labels pregnancy a “disability.”
• Domestic violence remains the single biggest threat of injury to women in America.
• The federal government continues to increase funding for abstinence-only education, even though it’s proven to put our daughters at greater risk for unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
• Health insurance plans are more likely to cover Viagra prescriptions than birth control pills.

What’s worse, we’re also weighed down by a myriad of troubling attitudes: The media bombard us with images of young, perfect-bodied women; acid-tongued commentators label us “feminazi” if we try to claim equal treatment; and the current chief justice of the Supreme Court has a history of opposing legislative and legal attempts to strengthen women’s rights, and questions “whether encouraging homemakers to become lawyers contributes to the common good.”

Why are powerful women viewed with consternation while powerful men instill respect? Why is it that for every ten men in an executive, decision-making role in this country, there is only one woman in that same role? Why do our federal courts continue to be stacked with male judges even though women receive more than half of all law degrees? And why shouldn’t a woman be president?

Enough! Women are not equal in our society or under our laws and the remedy is quite simple: Besides being the majority of the population, we also control the economy, spending 80 percent of every discretionary dollar, and given that 54 percent of voters are female, we can swing an election. With our numbers we can do something about it.

This is a critical moment: We can either take the road toward equality or allow ourselves to be driven further away from fair treatment. The 51% Minority is a clarion call to the silent majority to take a stand . . . before it’s too late.

Customer Reviews:

A Dim Bulb Speaks.......2007-06-08

I've seen Lis on Fox debating Marc Rudov and others and she's just not quick on her feet. She enters with a pre-planned argument and is quickly off balance when it deviates. If she were a good enough Manhattan lawyer she wouldn't bother being on TV, but she gives good face.

I wouldn't want her representing me in small claims court, let alone 51% of the population in the "Feminism 2.0" movement.

The fact that she thinks she can perpetuate the myth that women make less money and are thus treated unfairly in a typically lawyer-esque fashion, with vague suppositions backed up with little data, gives one more of a hint of her grrrl power rather than actual brains. To her this would be a preponderance of the evidence for an all female jury to decide the verdict. "We find the defendant, every man that's ever been born, guilty as charged!"

Woooooeee! You go girl!

As a data point; I worked for several large corporations, some Fortune 500, and in my position had direct access to who was paid what. Almost without exception women made as much as men in the same job. This being said, there were few instances where men and women did the same job. You could find women in sales, finance, administration and even some execs, but rarely, and I mean less than 1%, could you find women in the higher paying technical areas such as engineering and manufacturing. Not because there was sexist discrimination, but because there simply weren't any women available to hire with a technical education and experience. Believe me, I felt the wrath of the local EEOC reps over the disparities more than once. And yes, for the naive and uninitiated, there are quotas. All else being equal, or not, you JUMPED at the chance to hire a female engineer over a male for the sake of "equality". Is that fair?

So you take the numbers and when 80% of your indirect labor overhead is highly paid technical and therefore male, it will obviously skew the raw data towards some inequity in pay among genders, if you choose to interpret it that way to present a case or write a book.

This is why Lis and the Feminist 2.0 movement ("now we don't make as much money as men") dog just won't hunt with me. I lived the reality. And no ladies, men aren't keeping women out of entering the engineering fields in college. They simply choose not to. Women's studies is an easier credit.

Now that you're no longer bare foot and pregnant in the kitchen and can "have it all", you want even more. It's a tired agrument. Just ask Ruth Bader Ginsburg. All those mean misogynist male justices...

Wiehl-- Anti-male Airhead.......2007-05-15

I just read the review-- what hackneyed feminist inane nonsense. Liz Wiehl couldn't park a bicycle straight, as she routinely reveals by her sophomoric, reflexive vaginocentrism on virtually any topic concerning women and men. She is an example of the problem. The idea that WOMEN(!) should cy "Enough" is so preposterous it is hard to believe it is said with a straight face.
Women want "equality" ! is that a joke !
Its men who cry ENOUGH after some 40 years of abuse from women. Its men who demand equality, the end of the incorporation of anti-male feminism into our jurisprudence, legislation, government agencies and departments, etc., and the cessation of the anti-male feminist propaganda that floods our society.
Wiehl's relentless, bigoted pro-female-no-matter-what is always on display , esp on FOX and in her vapid columns.
Again,the thesis of this book-- that women want equality( why give up their massive special treatment in virtually every facet of society) and that they are denied rights/equal treatment --is so monumentally absurd one doesn't know whether to laugh or cry..
I'll believe it the next time a husband blows his sleeping minister wife out of bed with a point-blank shotgun blast,men weep because she must have been evil to make him do it,and half the men on the jury think he should get off scot-free and-- he ends up getting time served-- 3 months. When men start to treat women's lives as worthless as many,many women treat men's,I'll say this book is needed.

Good source of practical info for women.......2007-03-06

In this book, Lis Wiehl creates a useful source of everyday legal information for the average woman who might be going through any of a number of trials. Lis makes the point that women are oftentimes not aware of the law and the protections (or lack thereof) that it affords them, and this book looks to be an easy-to-read way to get that very information across.

Kudos to Lis Wiehl..........2007-03-05

Kudos to Lis Wiehl for tackling a problem that is widely acknowledged, but rarely discussed. With a female Speaker of the House and a serious female Presidential candidate, maybe now is the time for change in the way women are treated and paid in the US. The evidence that Lis uncovers and presents in The 51% Minority
will surprise many who might assume men and women are on fairly equal footing in the workplace.

A great book that should fuel discussions at dinner tables, watercoolers and message boards across the nation.

you know what they say about statistics..........2007-03-02

The only thing book demonstrates conclusively is why lawyers shouldn't attempt social research. There are valid reasons for the disparities Ms. Wiehl addresses, but you wouldn't know that from reading her book, which presents only the most facile, superficial analysis. As her book tour unfolds, pay careful attention to interviews where her ideas are challenged - she folds like a house of cards when presented with the most obvious questions. Most alarming is her apparent comfort with the idea of the government defining requirements and competencies in order to equalize pay, despite the fact that such an effort is so impractical as to be absurd.

Twelve Keys to an Effective Church (The Kennon Callahan Resources Library for Effective Churches)

Average customer rating:

Poorly written, evidence lacking
Highly recommended church leadership book
The introductions alone are worth the price of the book
A great foundation for THE MISSIONAL CHURCH
Excellent guide for evaluation and planning ministry

Twelve Keys to an Effective Church (The Kennon Callahan Resources Library for Effective Churches)
Kennon L. Callahan , and Ian B. Tanner
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Twelve Keys to an Effective Church, The Planning Workbook (The Kennon Callahan Resource Library for Effective Churches)
Twelve Keys to an Effective Church: The Leader's Guide (The Kennon Callahan Resource Library for Effective Churches)
Effective Church Leadership: Building on the Twelve Keys
Giving and Stewardship in an Effective Church: A Guide for Every Member
Effective Church Finances: Fund-Raising and Budgeting for Church Leaders

ASIN: 0787938718

Book Description

Tested with thousands of users, this in-depth study guide discusses new and useful ways to interpret and work through Twelve Keys to an Effective Church. It also discusses the key principles outlined in Twelve Keys and their biblical connections.

TIMING: Purchase one book for each member of your planning group

Customer Reviews:

Poorly written, evidence lacking.......2006-08-16

I had read a review of The Purpose Driven Church that indicated that this book was much better. That was not my experience. The Purpose Driven Church certainly has weaknesses. In that book, Warren constantly tries to show biblical bases for his points, sometimes finding support where none exists. However, his writing is clear, generally well written, and interesting. And while he deals mainly with his experiences in just one church, he at least has one church where he can illustrate that his ideas did work.

Callahan, on the other hand, refers vaguely to a great deal of research in many churches, but provides no data to support his conclusions. I was left wondering whether he drew his conclusions from his observations or whether he observed what he had already concluded. He offers no evidence that he has actually tried what he suggests, or that he has participated in a church where the leaders tried what he suggests.

Furthermore, the book is tedious. If you are at all familiar with churches, you will understand most of what is in the book after reading the first few pages. While there are occasional details of interest in the rest of the book, it takes a lot of reading to find a few good suggestions.

Callahan's suggestions are generally good, but rarely significantly new. They tend to be more along the lines of, "If you're going to do a job, do it well." I don't know if Poor Richard said that, but it's certainly not new.

Callahan offers charts for rating your church in several areas, but he offers no evidence that these ratings have helped even one church. The fact is, any church is better off for seriously thinking through what the church is doing, and Callahan's charts could be used to aid in that process, but the book offers no evidence that the this group of items rated is better than any other. In fact, a church that tries to do all that Callahan suggests in self-rating is likely to get very bogged down in the kind of activities that he would argue are not helpful.

The Purpose Driven Church should be read as a "How We Did It" book. Twelve Keys to an Effective Church should be skimmed--maybe letting two or three leaders look at the charts to find ideas that would apply locally.

Highly recommended church leadership book.......2006-04-20

Kennon Callahan-highly influential in the area of church leadership-writes "Twelve Keys to an Effective Church" to assist congregations in identifying their strengths and building upon them. Yet Callahan emphasizes that not all congregational strengths are created equal; rather there are definite areas in which a congregation will get more "bang for their buck" should they emphasize it over other strengths. The particular strengths Callahan covers are twelve in number (hence the title) but stresses the development of mission-oriented objectives, a strong visitation program, and excellence in public worship.

The strengths of this book are too numerous to list; every page has "ah-ha!" statements and wise paradigm-shifting analyses. It is helpful that the twelve strengths are ranked in order of effectiveness and that the earlier strengths are treated more thoroughly than the latter ones. The fact that Callahan seems to focus his narrative on medium-sized congregations (100-150 in worship) is also helpful as the majority of churches are around this size or can easily adapt these "moderate" evaluations to fit their particular situation. This leads to yet another strength: Callahan's focus is clearly on principles and not on specific techniques; he continually reminds the reader that each congregation is unique and should be creative in applying their mission and practices.

The weaknesses are few, but they include a small font-size (admittedly aesthetic) and occasionally-dated statements in the narrative. Yet even though Callahan often looks forward to seeing how the 1980s shape up, his societal and sociological analyses still hold water and the congregational leader can use them to spur his own future-oriented ideas.

I recommend this book most highly for pastors and other congregational leaders.

The introductions alone are worth the price of the book.......2005-04-13

I read this book as part of a class in Seminary (Bethel Theological Seminary, Arden Hills, MN). As the title says, the book pays for itself by the end of the two part introduction. The intros include a great set of information/ideas/practices that many pastors have thought about at various times, but have never condensed into one place so simply and clearly. This book is a tool box for those in ministry. I would put it on my "must have" list of books that I will keep handy in the years to come.

The only (small) criticism I might offer on the book is that a few of the practices are in need of review in light of the modern church setting. The one that comes to mind is the suggestion that the preaching pastor spend 1 hour counseling for every minute they spend preaching Sunday morning. Most sermons exceed 20 minutes in my experience, and in some traditions exceeding 45 minutes is acceptable. Nobody in a senior pastorate can spend 45 hours counseling and still have time to write a sermon worth preaching, plus guide and lead the church. This is a very isolated case in this book, and I have no hesitation in reccomending it to other students and pastors I know who are not fortunate enough to be in the class I am in.

A great foundation for THE MISSIONAL CHURCH.......2002-05-23

I'm impressed by this work, because it is so far ahead of its time. Published in 1983, Callahan's work, in my mind, bucks the notion that "newer is always better." Indeed, as you read this book you will be familiar with it already-- because so much of what you read about today must have, in some way, found its roots in Callahan's ideas (i.e. many have read "Purpose Driven Church," by Rick Warren, which is also an informative read, but have no idea that many of the concepts put forth by Warren seem to originate here).

Callahan's book is straight-forward-- and is applicable in any church, in any size, in any location, and in any setting. He doesn't presume that you need a certain worship style-- his writing is not so shallow as that. Or, that you need a contemporary building (or a traditional one). No, he goes beyond the "surface" issues that we so often get stuck in and looks at the church in light of its MISSION.

That would be a central idea to Callahan in this-- and in all of his writings, as a matter of fact-- THE MISSIONAL CHURCH. In this work, he describes how the mission is central, and how various aspects of the church (he deals with facilities, visibility, mission and vision, finances, relationship, leadership, etc.) fit together to fuel the mission (rather than detract from it, or run as separate, disjuncted aspects of the organism).

A great read. You will benefit from the two introductions (on planning and hope, and mission and success) and chapter 1 ("Specific, Concrete Missional Objectives") alone. Those twenty pages are worth the price of the book, which is good... again... not because it is trendy, but because so many trendy works have stood on the shoulders of this groundbreaking work.

Excellent guide for evaluation and planning ministry.......1999-05-12

I have used this book in a long range planning program in one church with excellent results. I am now using it in a second church and believe it will give us significant information and guidance.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for guidance in evaluating present ministry and planning for a more effective outreach.

Average customer rating:

Hideous. Pure rubbish.

Solid

Great Followup

Excellent Guide to Transitioning to Purpose Driven

Outstanding resource

Transitioning
Dan Southerland
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Church History | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Church Institutions & Organizations | Ministry & Church Leadership | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Church Administration | Ministry & Church Leadership | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Ecclesiology | Theology | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Christian Coaching: Helping Others Turn Potential into Reality

ASIN: 0310242681

Book Description

This book takes readers through a step-by-step process that can help any church make the transition from being program driven to purpose driven.

Customer Reviews:

Hideous. Pure rubbish........2007-08-10

Southerland drove out the original congregation of three hundred, kept their property and facilities, changed their church into his creation, filled it with neophytes, and became their king. This book is a near perfect expose of the methods of the utterly corrupt Church Growth Movement. There are three ways to deal with an errant preacher like Southerland; get them on board, fight them, or run them off (Transitioning - p 71). They are truly "leaders from Hell" (Transitioning - p 115)

Solid.......2007-05-07

This is a solid, great book about transitioning yesterday's church into tomorrow's church. Dan pulls no punches, he is very direct and focuses on what is truly important. I was challenged, convicted, encouraged, and energized to lead. This is the best book I've read on the dicey proposition of change in the local church.

Great Followup.......2006-11-10

A very practical follow-up to Purpose Driven Church. This book puts Purpose Driven into motion. It is not a book for someone who doesn't see the need for change.

Excellent Guide to Transitioning to Purpose Driven.......2006-11-02

Our church is an established congregation over 200 years old that is transitioning toward a "Purpose Driven" ministry focus. This book was just what we needed to guide us through the process. We are well on our way and are following the 8 steps laid out in the book. I highly recommend it.

Outstanding resource.......2006-09-26

This book is a great resource to leaders seeking a transition a church back to health. Dan has been there and done it and speaks out of experience.

Advanced Strategic Planning,: A New Model for Church and Ministry Leaders

Average customer rating:

Nuts and Bolts of the Ministry
Practical Church Leadership Resource
Excellent content best for new churches
Advanced Strategic Planning
A good book to read in understanding the "hows" of change

Advanced Strategic Planning,: A New Model for Church and Ministry Leaders
Aubrey Malphurs
Manufacturer: Baker Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0801091810
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Book Description

First published in 1999, Advanced Strategic Planning explained why planning was so important to carrying out the church's mission. Now in its second edition, this practical resource offers: a nine-step strategic thinking and acting model; useful ideas for developing a strategy; diagrams to help illustrate concepts; a new chapter on spiritual formation. This updated edition places a stronger emphasis on disciplemaking and clarifies answers to nine fundamental ministry questions. The methods in this book are proven to work, having already helped many churches articulate their vision and implement their mission.

Customer Reviews:

Nuts and Bolts of the Ministry.......2007-04-10

This volume offers the basics of the Christian ministry. You would learn the basics of how to do ministry, but you must be critical in your reading. I used this volume for a seminary class.

Practical Church Leadership Resource.......2007-02-02

Aubrey Malphurs, author of many books on parish leadership and strategy, is a professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary and is also the president of the Malphurs Group (a training and consulting firm for churches). "Advanced Strategic Planning" is a book that seeks to assist a congregation to move from a stage of stagnation and plateaued growth to a period of change and revitalization.

Malphurs's introduction lays out his belief that all institutions essentially operate on a bell curve (aka "sigmoid curve" or "s-curve"), that an institution begins and experiences rapid growth in virtually all dimensions, then begins establishing routines, the routines entrench themselves and become a source of comfot to those in the organization, then the institution declines and dies. Malphurs argues that institutions (and especially the church) should, as soon as they recognize plateau, should re-invent or re-structure themselves to experience a new period of significant growth. This necessitates the re-invention and re-structuring of countless aspects of church life and organization. "Advanced Strategic Planning" takes a church through the change process in a step-by-step manner.

Throughout the book, Malphurs draws upon his wealth of experience as a pastor, interim pastor, professor, and consultant to take a church through the strategic revitalization process. He addresses many pitfalls and stagnation traps, reasserts the importance of following through on the process, and pastorally encourages the church leaders to carry on. He stresses the distinctions between values, missions, and functions in a helpful way. Most valuable for this reader, he spends much time defining and showing the importance of communicating a vision.

The unhelpful aspects of this book are few, but include the following: Malphurs gravitates toward writing for the larger, wealthier parish and tends. The result is that smaller, financially strapped congregations may not get as much out of this book. Also, my parish operates a day-school and I had trouble applying some of Malphur's advice to my particular situation. However, these criticism are (admittedly) minor and should not detract you from reading this book.

I recommend this book for pastors, parish leaders, and others in a position to move their religious-based organization form stagnation to revitalization.

Excellent content best for new churches.......2006-11-04

Malphurs does an excellent job of laying out the strategic planning process step by step and in great detail. I really appreciated the fact that he takes into account things like church patriarchs/matriarchs and other church dynamics that are often not addressed practically in ministry books. He almost makes the process seem easy, and maybe it is, IF you are starting a new church or are in the very early stages of a church plant. However, much of the material seems practically impossible to implement in a "plateau'ed" or "downward spiraling" church that has been around for 100 years. The principles are easy and make sense IF you have 100% support of the congregation. That's pretty hard to do in most of the churches I've been in that need strategic planning the most. That's no fault of Malphurs; the book itself is a great book.

Advanced Strategic Planning.......2006-10-30

Malphurs provides the experienced and emerging leader an excellent resource. He combines the right mix of biblical advice & perspective, academic theory, and practical tools on which the Ministry leader may step up to the next level.

A good book to read in understanding the "hows" of change.......2006-01-17

The title of the book suggests a multifaceted tactical plan that promises an innovative approach to church structure. It focuses on the aspects of a church's mission by examining issues such as preparedness, the life cycle of the church, core values, the church's purpose for existence, the surrounding community, direction, plan, church crisis and stalemates, and evaluating effectiveness. The author injects thought provoking questions throughout the book in an effort to guide readers through the process of launching the church in a certain direction. It emphasizes that the process is a collaborative effort between the pastor and the congregation. The interesting feature of the book is the contingencies chapter-"how will the church handle pleasant and not so pleasant surprises?" (187). Churches encounter various situations so it is best to have a plan in place. For instance, if the senior or only pastor resigns, the church must have a way to continue with services. They should have someone to step in temporarily while they search for another pastor. The worse thing that can happen is for the church to be in disarray. An example of a "good contingency" is receiving a large sum of money. The church should have a plan in place for what will be done in case they receive an unexpected donation. Strategic planning is to plan for the future. Another interesting information from the book is the analysis of the environment. To illustrate, the social environment includes the mobility of the population (does the majority have automobiles or do they travel via public transportation?) (119). The "Readiness for Change" inventory contains the factors necessary for organizational change, but prayer is missing (214). Before any change takes place, much prayer should be devoted by church members.

Stop Dating the Church!: Fall in Love with the Family of God (Lifechange Books)

Average customer rating:

Skeptic no longer
More opinions from josh.
Excellent Book! Highly Recommend!
OK
Fantastic!

Stop Dating the Church!: Fall in Love with the Family of God (Lifechange Books)
Joshua Harris
Manufacturer: Multnomah
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1590523652
Release Date: 2004-09-23

Book Description

Putting in their hour or two on the weekend, many Christians take the rest of the week off, neglecting the church and her needs. It’s not a serious relationship. Some shop around, looking for a church that suits their lifestyle. It’s dating, with no assurances, no obligations. Bestselling author Joshua Harris calls Christians to stop playing the field and commit, just as Christ is committed to us, His bride. In his new book, Harris explores the ramifications of Ephesians 5:25–32, which proclaims the intensity and the breadth of Jesus Christ’s love for His church. God has designed us to build our lives around a local church; we cannot be indifferent or uninvolved. Rather, we must be in love with and committed to God’s plan and purpose through the church. Are you dating the church, or are you committed?

Are You Dating the Church?

We are a generation of consumers, independent and critical. We attend church, but we don't want to settle down and truly invest ourselves. We're not into commitment — we only want to date the church.

Is this what God wants for us?

Stop Dating the Church reminds us that faith was never meant to be a solo pursuit. The church is the place God grows us, encourages us, and uses us best. Loving Jesus Christ involves a passionate commitment to His church — around the world and down the street.

We can't be apathetic. It's time to fall in love with the family of God.

Story Behind the Book

Like all my books, this one is very closely tied to my own journey. I’ve been a church-dater. And I’ve learned just how good it is to get serious about the church. I want to see my generation get a hold of God’s purpose and plan for the local church, too. The same month this book is released I’ll become the senior pastor of my church. This awesome responsibility is being passed on to me by my mentor, C. J. Mahaney, a pastor who has faithfully served for over 26 years. So this book is marking a very important transition in my life. The church isn’t some other generation’s responsibility—it isn’t somebody else’s business. I have to take responsibility. I have to be passionate and committed to it. Through the pages of this book, I’m calling my generation to do the same.

Customer Reviews:

Skeptic no longer.......2007-06-08

When I first saw this book I was skeptical about what it might say about the church. Wow was I wrong. Harris does a great job of making the doctrine of the church very practical and easy to understand, and there is something here to challenge and convict people at all different levels of commitment. I now use the book for several classes that I teach at the church and highly recommend it for all students and adults. And the book does not just apply to one denomination or one style of church--it is applicable across the board. Even if you don't agree with everything Harris says (as I didn't) you will still be challenge and convicted about how you view the church.

More opinions from josh........2007-05-21

This book is about as rediculous as all of his others. Apparently harris believes that the Church is the non profit organization on the corner that meets in the nice stained glass artifice twice on sunday and every wednesday. You know, the one that has a pastor whose salary is paid by the giving of the congregation. I believe it could be that. Or it could be the group of friends who meet at someones house, or the students that meet at the local coffee shop or pub. In the promotional material, we are admonished for having a consumer approach to church, asking not what we can give, but what we can get from a particular church. While this is true to an extent, it is also a convenient cop out for churches that have become so commercialized and seeker friendly that they no longer offer any thing of substance for those of us who seek more spiritual meat. Which is exactly why people have stopped going to the stained glass artifice on the corner, and started going to the church that meets in homes and coffee shops. It sticks to the archaic belief that to be a christian you MUST go to church, which implies that all those who go to church are christians. Of course neither are true, but the danger of that mindset is real. Read the book, form your own opinion, but dont take harris' opinion as biblical truth. Know the difference. For a better read, check out someone like donald miller.

Excellent Book! Highly Recommend!.......2007-02-07

This is a classic by Joshua Harris. If you are familiar with his books then you will appreciate what he has to say about the church. Many struggle today with the purpose of the church because there are so many false teachers who are only after your money. It's no wonder that many have nothing to do with the church. In Stop Dating the Church, Joshua Harris challenges you to change your thinking about the church and see its importance. Because this book has presented such a challenge to our leadership, we use it for prospective new members. A must read for current members or prospective and by those who have flat given up on the local church!

OK.......2006-11-17

I like the illustrations Josh gives with the Church being the Bride of Christ, but this book was totally written from a pastor's perspective. Josh believes you should be at the church whenever the doors are open, and if you are not there, you are living in sin. Come on, it's easy to be at every single church function when that's your job and you have Mondays off!
One big contradiction is that Josh later talks about how important it is that we reach out to people. So, when we're doing church activities when our time is free, when do we reach out? I think this book is similar to I Kissed Dating Goodbye. It's filled with lots of personal opinions with shallow scriptural references. There are some good ideas, but keep in mind they are all opinions.

Fantastic!.......2006-11-10

We are using this book with our Singles group at our church. It has given very biblical reason to be a part and serve in the local church. We would definatley reccommend this book for anyone!

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